Method of manufacturing valve bodies



Dec. 4, 1962 T. A. GEARY METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VALVE BODIES Filed Aug. 16, 1960 United States Patent Ofihce Bfihhfifi Patented Dec. 4, 1952 3,066,631 METHOD 8F MANUFACTURING VALVE BQDES Thomas A. Geary, Kenosha, Wis, assiguor to Ladish (10., Cudahy, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 49,942 6 Claims. (Cl. 113-116} This invention relates to improvements in method of manufacturing valve bodies such as diaphragm valve bodies.

The manufacture of valve bodies for diaphragm valves of the type shown in my pending application, Serial No. 25,150, filed April 27, 1960, where it is necessary to provide a spherical enlargement for the diaphragm chamber, has heretofore been diflicult and expensive.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide means for expeditiously producing valve bodies of the above type at a minimum of cost from a single fiat blank of material by a novel series of steps including a drawing operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in improvements in the method of manufacturing valve bodies such as bodies for diaphragm valves, and all of its steps and combinations of steps as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred series of steps embodying the improved method:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blank of metal with recesses in opposite edges thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view after the blank of FIG. 1 has been drawn in a die;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view after the drawn blank of FIG. 2 has been trimmed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view after the blank of FIG. 3 has been sawed in two;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partially completed valve body made by re-rearrangement of the two parts of FIG. 4, the latter being Welded together; and

FIG. 6 is a view of a valve body which is complete except for the coupling flanged at the top of the cup.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a rectangular piece of metal 10 such as stainless steel has opposite edges cut to provide oppositely disposed arcuate recesses 11 which are bisected by the center line of the blank. This may be done by any suitable punch and die. This blank is then shaped to the shape shown in FIG. 2 by means of a punch and drawing die. This produces a semi-cylindrical part 12 on one side and 13 on the other with an intermediate spherical depression or cup 4 which overlaps the portions 12 and 13. On the sides of the piece 10 where the recesses 11 were located and on opposite sides of the semi-spherical enlargement there are web pieces 15 which connect the two semi-cylindrical portions 12 and 13. On the other tWo edges of the blank is surplus material 16.

Next the surplus material 16 is trimmed off and the Webs 15 are cut out to leave rectangular or U-shaped recesses 17. Each of these recesses comprises an inner margin 18 and end margins 19. Next the piece of FIG. 3 is sawed into two halves by a line of sawing which bisects the inner margins 18 of the U-shaped recesses. After sawing, there are L-shaped marginal welding edges formed by the marginal portions 19 and by half of the length of each of the marginal portions 18, said half lengths being designated 18 in FIG. 4. In addition, each of the half sections of FIG. 4 includes one of the semi-cylindrical portions 12 or 13 having a marginal edge 16', and an integral quarter sphere Zti or half cup which merges into and beyond the opposite edge and extends across the body of the portion 12 almost to the edge 16'.

Thereafter, the straight edges 16' of the two pieces of FIG. 4 are placed in juxtaposition and the L-shaped marginal welding edges 18 and 19 are brought together and all of said juxtaposed edges are welded together in the position of FIG. 5, the tubular portions being welded together along the juxtaposed edges 16. This produces a tube formed of two half section with an integral semispherical enlargement formed by the two portions 20 and located intermediate the length of the tube.

Thereafter, the valve body may be completed by putting ferrules 22 on the ends of the tubular portion and by welding a connecting flange (not shown) to the upper margin of the cup of FIG. 6.

It is apparent from the above that a very simple method has been devised for expeditiously producing valve bodies of this type, which method conserves material and provides for an integral valve body enlargement.

It is to be understood that the present invention may be employed to form enlargements of other shape than the semi-sphere shown, and the invention is not to be limited to the exact steps shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open ended cupshaped enlargement intermediate its length, the steps of drawing a single flat, rectangular metal sheet to provide a central recessed enlargement with spaced parallel semicylindrical portions on two opposite sides of and merging with said enlargement and to provide a web on the other two sides of the enlargement between said semicylindrical portions, cutting away said webs to provide oppositely disposed U-shaped recesse with margins, sawing through said sheet on a line bisecting said U-shaped recesses to provide two like pieces each comprising one semi-cylindrical portion with an integral half enlargement having a sawed edge and to provide longitudinally spaced L-shaped welding margins adjacent the ends of said cylindrical portion and adjacent said enlargement, and welding said semi-cylindrical portions together to form a tube with the L-shaped welding margins of one piece juxtaposed and welded to the L-shaped welding margins of the other piece so as to provide an open topped cupshaped enlargement intermediate the length of the tube with one of said sawed edges forming one half of the top margin of said cup-shaped enlargement and with the other of said sawed edges forming the other half of said top margin.

2. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open ended cupshaped enlargement intermediate its length, the steps of drawing a single metal sheet to provide a central cup with spaced parallel semicylindrical portions having outer edge surplus projecting therebeyond on two opposite sides of and merging with said cup and to provide webs on the other two sides of said cup between said semicylindrical portions, trimming of? said surplus to provide a straight marginal outer edge for each semi-cylindrical portion, cutting away said webs to provide oppositely disposed U-shaped recesses with marginal edges, sawing through said sheet on a line bisecting said U-shaped recesses to provide two like pieces each comprising one semi-cylindrical portion with a straight marginal edge on one side and with the other side formed by longitudinally spaced L-shaped marginal welding edges with an intervening integral half cup having a sawed edge, and welding said semi-cylindrical portions together with their straight marginal outer edges juxtaposed and welded together to form a tube and with their L-shaped marginal welding edges juxtaposed and welded together to provide an open topped cup intermediate the length of the tube with one of said sawed edges forming one half of the top aoeaear margin of said open topped cup and with the other of said sawed edges forming the other half of said top margm.

3. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open ended cupshaped enlargement intermediate its length, the steps of drawing a single fiat, rectangular metal sheet to provide a central cup with spaced parallel semi-cylindrical portions having outer edge surplus projecting therebeyond on two opposite sides of and merging with said cup and to provide webs on the other two sides of said cup between said semi-cylindrical portions, trimming off said surplus to provide a straight marginal outer edge for each semicylindrical portion, cutting away said webs to provide oppositely disposed U-shaped recesses with marginal edges, sawing through said sheet on a line bisecting said U-shaped recesses to provide two like pieces each comprising one semi-cylindrical portion with a straight marginal edge on one side and with the other side formed by longitudinally spaced L-shaoed marginal welding edges with an intervening integral half cup having a sawed edge, and Welding said semi-cylindrical portions together with their straight marginal outer edges juxtaposed and Welded together to form a tube with their L-shaped marginal welding edges juxtaposed and welded together to provide an open topped cup intermediate the length of the tube with one of said sawed edges forming one half of the top margin of said open topped cup and with the other of said sawed edges formin the other half of said top margin.

4. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open ended cupshaped enlargement intermediate its length the steps of recessing opposite margins of a single metal sheet, drawing said sheet to provide a central cup bounded on two sides by said recesses and on the other two sides by spaced parallel semi-cylindrical portions, there being webs adjacent said recesses and between said semi-cylindrical portions, trimming off said surplus to provide straight marginal outer edges for said semi-cylindrical portions, cutting away said webs to provide oppositely disposed U-shaped recesses with straight marginal welding edges, sawing through said sheet on a line bisecting said U-shaped recesses to provide two like pieces each comprising one semicylindrical portion with laterally projecting, integral half cup with a sawed edge and with longitudinally spaced L-shaped marginal welding edges on opposite sides of said cup, and welding said two like pieces together with said semi-cylindrical portions juxtaposed to provide a cylinder and with the L-shaped marginal Welding edges of one piece juxtaposed on the L-shaped marginal edges of the other piece and Welded thereto to provide an open topped cup intermediate the length of said cylinder with one of said sawed edges forming one half of the top margin of said open topped cup and with the other of said sawed edges forming the other half of said top margin.

5. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open top cup-shaped enlargement intermediate its length the steps of recessing opposite margins of a single metal sheet, drawing said sheet to provide a central semi-spherical depression bounded on two sides by said recesses and on the other two sides by spaced parallel semi-cylindrical portions, there being webs adjacent said recesses and between said semi-cylindrical portions, trimming off said surplus to provide straight marginal outer edges for said semi-cylindrical portions, cutting away said webs to provide oppositely disposed U-shaped recesses with straight marginal welding edges, sawing through said sheet on a line bisect ing said U-shaped recesses to provide two like pieces each comprising one semi-cylindrical portion with laterally projecting, integral quarter sphere having a sawed edge and with longitudinally spaced L-shaped marginal Welding edges on opposite sides of said cup, and welding said two like pieces together with said semi-cylindrical portions juxtaposed to provide a cylinder and with the L-shaped marginal welding edges of one piece juxtaposed on the L-shaped marginal edges of the other piece and welded thereto to provide an open topped semi-sphere intermediate the length of said cylinder with one of said sawed edges forming of the top margin of said semi-sphere and with the other of said sawed edges forming the opposite 180 of the top margin of said senisphere.

6. In a method of manufacturing valve bodies wherein there is a tubular portion with an open ended cupshaped enlargement, the steps of drawing a single flat rectangular metal sheet to provide a central recessed enlargement with spaced parallel semi-cylindrical portions on two opposite sides of and merging with said enlargement, sawing through said sheet on a line bisecting said sheet to provide two like pieces each comprising one semicylindrical portion with an integral halfenlargement having a sawed edge and to provide longitudinally spaced welding margins adjacent the ends of said cylindrical portion and adjacent said enlargement, and welding said semicylindrical portions together to form a tube with the welding margins of one piece juxtaposed and welded to the welding margins of the other piece so as to provide an open topped cup-shaped enlargement on the tube with one of said sawed edges forming one half of the top margin of said cup-shaped enlargement and with the other of said sawed edges forming the other half of said top margin.

References (lited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 702,125 Buckley June 10, 1902 1,291,602 Murray Jan. 14, 1919 1,708,115 Baldwin Apr. 9, 1929 1,860,683 Meinel May 31, 1932 2,713,195 *I-Iemmer July 19, 1955 

